Adding oak sticks to a used 5 gallon barrel

[Canadashine]

I have a once used oak barrel on the way. I have enough ujssm to fill the barrel. Im going to just fill it this time with out adding any oak sticks but next time i will probably add some stick to the barrel. Im just wondering how long should i leave the uj in the barrel being that it is once used. And when im done with the uj ill have enough rye to fill it for a 3rd time (my 2nd). Just wondering how much oak should i add to the barrel and any ideas of how to hang the stick?

[Twisted Brick]

Im just wondering how long should i leave the uj in the barrel being that it is once used... Just wondering how much oak should i add to the barrel and any ideas of how to hang the stick?

No one can accurately answer your questions since every barrel, cooper, original aging environment, aged spirit (you get the idea) is different. The fun part is that you get to sample the results of your hard work on a regular basis and pull your spirit when you think it's ready. This won't tell you how much oak you should add to your next batch, but at least it's a starting point.


Science of Barrel Aging

[NZChris]

You can add another dimension to your products by adding different woods. Search the forum for ideas.

A long bung fashioned from the new wood is one way of adding some.

[kiwi Bruce]

Two very good replies here Canadashine...this IS the fun end of our hobby.

[Canadashine]

I like that idea of making a long bung. I guess ill have a few more months to figure out what to do. I see more reading in the near future. Endless about of info on here. Not that i was trying to get spoon fed here. I did search just not the right key words i guess

[8Ball]

I’m getting ready to do a 3rd fill on a 5G Gibbs. I’m aging the new stuff with toasted oak bones in glass jars while I’m waiting for what is in the cask to finish. Then I’ll just empty the cask and re-fill it at the same time. Since I’m looking for a mild oak flavor, I won’t be adding any extra bones. But, if I was putting bourbon back in there, I probably would add some bones before I put the bung in. My two cents. Good luck!

8B